The Energetic Brain E-Book

Cecil R. Reynolds

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 527

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

How to get past the myths, tap into the creativity of the ADHD mind, and thrive ADHD affects millions of people-some 3 to 5% of the general population. Written by a neuroscientist who has studied ADHD, a clinician who has diagnosed and treated it for 30 years, and a special educator who sees it daily, The Energetic Brain provides the latest information from neuroscience on how the ADHD brain works and shows how to harness its potential for success. It distills the latest research findings to give readers the most up-to-date information available and provides practical strategies for managing ADHD-and thriving-at school, at work, and at home, from childhood through adulthood. * Debunks popular (and destructive) myths about ADHD * Covers how to manage ADHD with medication or without, what parents can do to help, and how to thrive with ADHD throughout the lifespan * Offers effective academic and behavioral interventions for school, and helpful accommodations for the workplace The Energetic Brain provides a truly thorough view of ADHD, making it an invaluable guide for parents, teachers, and those living with ADHD.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

More Praise for The Energetic Brain

Title page

Copyright page

Acknowledgments

About the authors

Dedication

Foreword

Preface

PART ONE: Getting to Know ADHD

1 What Is ADHD?

LEGITIMATE CONCERNS EXIST

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS BOOK

ADHD AND YOU

WHAT IS ADHD?

HISTORY OF ADHD

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

2 What ADHD Looks Like

BEHAVIORAL STRENGTHS

PRIMARY SYMPTOMS

COMORBID CONDITIONS

IMPAIRMENT IN DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

3 How ADHD Affects Family and Friends

INTERVENTION AND COPING STRATEGIES

PEER FUNCTIONING

FAMILY FUNCTIONING

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

PART TWO: Getting Help

4 Is It Really ADHD?

WHY ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS IS SO CRITICAL

THE PERILS OF MISDIAGNOSIS, OR WHY WE NEED COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT TO DIAGNOSE ADHD!

THE DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS: WHAT IS NECESSARY AND WHAT TO EXPECT

IT TAKES A SKILLED CLINICIAN

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

5 How Medication Affects the ADHD Brain

WHAT CAUSES ADHD?

HOW THE BRAIN WORKS

BRAIN DIFFERENCES IN ADHD

WHAT DOES NOT CAUSE ADHD?

HOW DOES MEDICATION WORK TO AFFECT ADHD?

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

6 Nonmedical Interventions That Work

WHAT WILL NOT WORK?

PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS AND ADHD

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

PART THREE: Managing ADHD from Childhood through Adulthood

7 Interventions That Strengthen Family Relationships

PARENT-CHILD (A3PC) INTERACTIONS

BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS

MONITORING

MANAGING MEDICATION

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

8 Helping Students with ADHD Succeed at School

BEFORE SELECTING INTERVENTIONS

INTERVENTIONS

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

9 A Crash Course in Special Education and Section 504

AFTER DIAGNOSIS OF ADHD

SECTION 504

THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT: SPECIAL EDUCATION

TO SUM UP

WHAT’S NEXT?

10 Practical Strategies for College and the Workplace

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

ACCOMMODATIONS

TO SUM UP

Conclusion: Knowledge Is Power

PART FOUR: Appendixes

Appendix A: How Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) Helps at School

PBIS COMPONENTS

TO SUM UP

Appendix B: Glossary

Index

More Praise for The Energetic Brain

“Creative yet authoritative . . . Reynolds, Vannest, and Harrison have created an important new work that stands apart from the hundreds of books on this topic. The Energetic Brain is a must read for parents, educators, professionals, and adults living with ADHD. This book has moved to number one on my short list of recommended readings for patients and professionals on this topic.”

—Sam Goldstein, PhD, editor-in-chief, Journal of Attention Disorders

“If you have ADHD or love someone who has ADHD, this practical, reader-friendly book is a must for your bookshelf. At last—science-based explanations of ADHD that are easy to understand and apply to life success. Hats off to Dr. Cecil Reynolds, a true Renaissance Man, and his co-authors.”

—Alan S. Kaufman, PhD, Clinical Professor of Psychology, Yale University

“Both authoritative and accessible; the authors provide parents with practical tools that are informed by the best science available.”

—Randy Kamphaus, dean, College of Education, Georgia State University, and Distinguished Research Professor, Counseling and Psychological Services, Georgia State University

“The Energetic Brain is practical, easy to understand, and applicable for parents and teachers alike. After reading this book, I feel more confident in my knowledge of ADHD and am better prepared to advocate for my students. I now know what to keep in mind throughout the IEP process, and understand how the ADHD brain works. This is a must read for all who want a greater understanding of ADHD.”

—Lauren Williams, parent and special education teacher, Bryan, Texas

“The Energetic Brain is one of the few books on ADHD that captures the interface between behavioral and academic concerns, and provides useful suggestions for both teachers and parents.”

—Cynthia A. Riccio, PhD, professor, Texas A&M University

Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Reynolds, Cecil R., 1952–

 The energetic brain : understanding and managing ADHD / Cecil R. Reynolds, Kimberly J. Vannest, Judith R. Harrison ; foreword by Sally Shaywitz. – 1

p. cm.

 Includes bibliographical references and index.

 ISBN 978-0-470-61516-4 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-118-16514-0 (ebk.), 978-1-118-16515-7 (ebk.), 978-1-118-16516-4 (ebk.)

 1. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. I. Vannest, Kimberly J., 1967– II. Harrison, Judith R., 1962– III. Title.

 RJ506.H9R49 2012

 616.85'89–dc23

2011038826

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all of our families, colleagues, and friends who have supported us endlessly throughout this process and specifically Lauren Williams, who dropped everything and worked long hours, often with short notice, pulling together a glossary and locating references. To our many mentors who taught us so much about science as well as how to be good clinicians, including Larry Hartlage, Alan Kaufman, Steven Evans, Ken Denny, Jim Kauffman, Tim Landrum, Rich Parker, Bruce Thompson (and Judith Harrison would like to note that she includes her coauthors Cecil Reynolds and Kimberly Vannest in this esteemed group): know that we never tire of expressing our gratitude for your guidance and the examples you have set for us. Additional acknowledgments are due to the friends and family who inadvertently provided us the living examples that appear throughout this book. In addition, we want to thank Marjorie McAneny for her patience, support, and guidance throughout the process as well as her acceptance of our approach to this work, along with her support staff at Jossey-Bass/Wiley. Having written so many graduate-level textbooks, we could not have succeeded in writing an intelligible book for those with ADHD and their families and friends without her commentary and advice. To Sally Shaywitz we express our sincere gratitude for taking time away from her many demanding clinical and research pursuits as well as her family to write a foreword to our book.

About the authors

Cecil R. Reynolds, PhD, is currently an Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology, Professor of Neuroscience, and Distinguished Research Scholar at Texas A&M University. A leading authority in the field of school psychology, Reynolds is the author or editor of more than fifty books, including The Handbook of School Psychology and the Encyclopedia of Special Education in addition to many textbooks in neuropsychology. He is also the author of several of the most widely used tests of personality and behavior including the BASC (Behavior Assessment System for Children) and the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale. He is also senior author of the Test of Memory and Learning, the School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory, and coauthor of several computerized test interpretation systems. He is senior author of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS).

Dr. Reynolds maintained a clinical practice treating trauma victims and individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) for twenty-five years before retiring from clinical work at the end of 2003. He has served on the editorial boards of many notable scientific journals including School Psychology Quarterly, Journal of Special Education, and Psychological Assessment, of which he is currently editor-in-chief. Previously, he served as editor-in-chief of Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology and Applied Neuropsy­chology. Reynolds is the recipient of numerous national awards including the Lightner Witmer Award. In 2000, he received the National Academy of Neuropsychology’s Distinguished Clinical Neuropsychologist Award, the Academy’s highest award for research accomplishments. His service to the profession and to society has been recognized as well through the President’s Gold Medal for Service to the National Academy of Neuropsychology as well as the Academy’s Distinguished Service Award, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington 50th Anniversary Razor Walker Award for Service to the Youth of North Carolina. In 2010, he received the Jack I. Bardon Award for Lifetime Distinguished Service Contributions to school psychology.

Kimberly J. Vannest, PhD, is a noted researcher and teacher in the area of interventions for students with and at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders, progress monitoring, and single case research design. She is the author of five books including the BASC-2 Intervention Guide, more than forty-five peer reviewed journal publications, and five software programs for academic and behavioral progress monitoring. A former high school teacher in North San Diego County, California, she earned her PhD at Louisiana State University and worked for the Governor’s office on K–12 school reform and as a state trainer in Positive Behavioral Support. Dr. Vannest has earned the Montague Scholar Center for Excellence in Teaching Award, is a Regents Fellow for her scholarship, and was named the outstanding new faculty member at Texas A&M University where she is now an associate professor in the Special Education Program, in the Department of Educational Psychology.

Judith R. Harrison, PhD, is currently a clinical research scientist for the Center for Intervention Research in Schools (CIRS) and the Center for Adolescent Research in Schools (CARS) at Ohio University. She has published several peer-reviewed articles on behaviors demonstrated by children and adolescents, behaviors that discriminate youth with ADHD from those without, and interventions for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and ADHD. Dr. Harrison’s research interests include effectiveness, feasibility, and teacher acceptability of school-based strategies for EBD and ADHD. Dr. Harrison is a licensed professional counselor and a certified teacher in the state of Texas. She has taught and counseled students in elementary and secondary schools for over twenty years.

From us all: To all of the families, children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD who have taught us so much as we have worked with them in so many different capacities over the years. Thank you.

CRR: To Julia always, for always

KV: To Jack, Peyton, & Owen

JH: To my children, Clint, James, Alana, and Emma, my daughter-in-law, Cassidy, my grandchildren, Campbell and Cannon, and all of those yet to come. May you flourish in your strengths and embrace your challenges.

Foreword

In the almost century and a half since Dr. Heinrich Hoffman described young Fidgety Phil who couldn’t sit still, but rather “wriggled and giggled, and then I declare, Swung backward and forward and tilted his chair,” the symptoms characterizing what we now term attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, have remained rather constant. Although the behaviors described in 1865 continue to be readily recognizable in ADHD children today, our fundamental understanding of ADHD, particularly the appreciation of its neural basis, has undergone a revolution.

As a result of this remarkable scientific progress in elucidating the neural underpinnings of the core behaviors characteristic of ADHD, we can now approach the disorder with the same degree of rigor associated with other important conditions that have an impact on the health and well-being of children and adults. Most critically, this new knowledge has transformed our entire approach to those who have ADHD from one based on anecdote and myth to one that reflects exacting scientific evidence and uses data-driven interventions to manage the disorder.

Contrary to what often appears in the popular press, ADHD is not an example of children who want to behave badly or who don’t want to learn, or parents who have somehow been derelict and let down their children; no, ADHD is a brain-based disorder related to the self-regulation of behavior and, in fact, a result of an “energetic brain” at that. This is the well-founded and strongly supported contention of renowned authority in school psychology and neuroscientist Cecil R. Reynolds and his noteworthy collaborators, researcher and teacher Kimberly J. Vannest and researcher and counselor Judith R. Harrison, in The Energetic Brain.

The Energetic Brain is a gift to parents, educators, and all those who know and care about a child or an adult with ADHD. Above all else, this trio of experts is both knowledgeable and caring—about the science and about the actual sufferer. Often articles or books about a disorder are written by scientists who study the entity and are able to share small interesting bits of minutiae about the subject, but appear never to have met an actual person who has the disorder and, as a consequence, do not understand from either a personal or practical sense what it means to the person with the disorder. Such scientific writings appear to focus on the parts but, at the same time, miss the integrated whole in the real person. In contrast, well-meaning advocates who have intimate knowledge of the actuality of a disorder will give practical advice but lack the scientific expertise and authority to back up their advice. Here, in The Energetic Brain, the reader is able to benefit from the authors’ collective expertise in neuroscience, psychology, education, and behavior as well as their deeply grounded experience as clinician, teacher, and counselor, respectively. In addition, as they indicate in reference to ADHD, “Two of the authors of this book admittedly have it, and the third is in denial.” As a consequence, the book is a compendium of guidelines and advice based on the authors’ up-to-date scientific knowledge and real-life clinical experience advising children and adults who have ADHD and on their personal experience living with ADHD.

This book essentially clears the fog so often surrounding ADHD and provides a clear, scientifically based, and practical step-by-step guide to the disorder’s successful management, primarily in children and adolescents but also touching on issues relevant to adults. Written in a style that is easygoing, accessible, kind, and hopeful, The Energetic Brain provides grounded, down-to-earth, scientifically sound advice on virtually every aspect of ADHD important to those who are affected and their families.

As a physician and neuroscientist, I was especially heartened by the focus on, description, and interpretation of the neurobiology underlying ADHD. This knowledge is empowering to parents and educators, who are often overwhelmed by a dizzying array of symptoms and frequently conflicting advice on where to begin and what is the right course of action. The Energetic Brain pre­sents the scientific evidence and sensibly concludes that “ADHD is truly a disorder of the brain, the organ that controls behavior.” Beginning with a clear description (“Brain 101”) of brain architecture and messaging systems, and continuing with a discussion of the specific structural (right prefrontal) pathways, and the neurotransmitters (dopamine and norepinephrine) and their roles in modulating behavior, The Energetic Brain helps the reader to understand how ADHD is not only brain-based, but also reflects an energetic brain.

Data based on both structural and functional studies of the brain suggest that the brains of individuals with ADHD differ from those who do not have ADHD. In ADHD, there appears to be less density of neurons in the prefrontal regions responsible for initiating and organizing behavior and for inhibiting behavior that is inappropriate, essentially the “point of coordination of the executive system of the brain—the brain’s coordination and decision-making system”—the system responsible for self-regulation of behavior. Furthermore, these prefrontal regions house receptor sites for the neurotransmitters that play a major role in self-regulation or control of behavior. Evidence points to “an imbalance in the levels” or perhaps the utilization of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. Thus, this confluence of abnormalities in both structure and function of the brain pathways and the neurotransmitters responsible for regulating behavior is at the root of the difficulties characterizing ADHD. As the authors point out, the importance of understanding the brain basis of ADHD difficulties is that this knowledge takes “the blame away,” allowing the focus to be on “what to do to help the child.”

Children affected by ADHD present difficulties with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity because those systems in the brain responsible for regulating attention, motor behavior, and decision making are not working as they should be. The challenge: what can be done to help these brain systems function more actively and appropriately? And this, as The Energetic Brain explains, is precisely the role of medications, stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) or mixed amphetamine salts (Adderall), and norephinephrine reuptake inhibitors such as atomoxetine (Strattera). These medications result in more normal levels of neurotransmitters which, in turn, increase arousal of brain systems responsible for modulating behavior. In other words, through the action of these medications, the person gains more control over his or her behavior so that he or she can inhibit inappropriate speech or motor behaviors, pay better attention, and be more in tune with signals and messages emanating from the environment. To be able to do so gives a person affected by ADHD more control over his or her behavior rather than being at the mercy of a much too energetic brain that is overwhelming him or her with barrages of different messages. The fog dissipates and it becomes clear, first, that modulating the child’s behavior is not just a matter of will—the child cannot will the brain to produce more of the needed neurotransmitters—and second, that just as choosing to use medicine to treat ADHD has consequences, electing not to use medication has consequences as well. Understanding ADHD at the level of the brain clears away both the confusion and guilt, helping readers to make intelligent decisions about treatment and evaluate more clearly the issues affecting those with ADHD.

Empowering the reader with a clear understanding of the neurobiological basis of ADHD, the authors then gently guide us through the maze of treatment options such as choice of medication, including actions and side effects, and provide evidence for the lack of relationship of treatment with stimulants to later substance abuse, alcohol abuse, or smoking in adulthood.

The authors, too, stress that effective management of ADHD is not only about medication and explain the need for multimodal treatment. As they state, “Medication can create a more normal operating state for the brain but it will not teach reading or math, and medication will not undo bad habits if bad habits and ineffective or problematic coping strategies were learned, and medication will not create new social skills.”

Throughout, the authors emphasize the power of knowledge and awareness to prevent problems. They stress the importance of early and accurate diagnosis, the value of informed decisions based on scientific findings rather than fears or myths, while also strongly encouraging parents and educators to take advantage of the child’s strengths—the energy, passion, focus, exuberance—to help gain control of his or her energetic, highly charged brain and rein in the out-of-control negative behaviors. Families with a child with ADHD will recognize their child and themselves and, most important, find doable and effective strategies to ensure that their child’s strengths will be recognized and called into play to ensure a positive outcome.

That the authors are astute and caring clinicians is evident throughout; I particularly appreciate their insightful discussion of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), noting that this test, once considered an important measure in the diagnosis of ADHD, takes place in the isolated quiet setting of a laboratory rather than the real-world tumult of the classroom or workplace where distractions are constantly assaulting the person. As a result, they wisely caution that a person with ADHD could perform well in such an artificial setting, leading to an incorrect diagnosis.

Above all, this book is not only scientifically rigorous, it is optimistic and positive in its well-thought-out discussions of each of the different components of a multimodal treatment plan. Recognizing that ADHD affects so many areas of life—parents and family; school and classroom behavior; learning and academics; peer relations and social life; and work—there are clear explanations of options available to improve each area. Always the focus is on the positive, whether in discussing parent-child interactions or what goes on at school. The authors emphasize affection, positive attention, and affirmation, reminding parents that parenting is truly a skill, and a skill that they can learn. In the same vein, there is a heartening discussion of schoolwide programs focused on positive behavioral intervention and support (PBIS). In PBIS the goal is preventative and proactive problem solving emphasizing teaching positive, appropriate behavior rather than resorting to punishment. I was interested to learn that Zero Tolerance policies, when examined, prove to be ineffective.

Parents and educators will benefit from explanations of the different tools available to help mitigate the negative effects of ADHD. For example, in addition to the use of medications to address the neurobiological origins of the difficulties, interventions such as social skills training help the child with ADHD to learn new behaviors to replace the old problematic ones that rupture friendships. Here the focus is on changing the external antecedents and consequences. Alternatively, to help adolescents and adults cope with the impact of ADHD, cognitive behavioral strategies work to replace negative, often destructive, thought processes with new, more positive adaptive patterns. Among the many useful classroom strategies, I was particularly impressed by the simple, step-by-step example of note taking, which without question would help virtually all students with ADHD. Reading The Energetic Brain is like having a knowledgeable, wise friend who understands what you are going through and, what’s more, knows how to help you in an unassuming manner. At the end, you let out a sigh of relief and are so pleased that you now understand and know exactly how to cope with ADHD in order to achieve a positive outcome for your child, your student, or yourself.

Sally E. Shaywitz, M.D.

Co-Director, Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity

Author, Overcoming Dyslexia

Preface

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, known more popularly as ADHD, is present at all levels of society. Doctors have it. Lawyers have it. Scientists, airline pilots, politicians, members of the armed services, teachers, grocery clerks, homemakers, salesmen, mechanics, cab drivers, and barbers all have it. Name an area of employment at any socioeconomic level and we can assure you, there are cases of ADHD present. Two of the authors of this book admittedly have it, and the third is in denial. It respects no vocation, no social class, and no boundaries. Most people with ADHD have thriving employment careers, some become successful celebrities and artists, some are professional athletes, and yes, as in all facets of society, some individuals with ADHD engage in criminal activity, develop substance abuse issues, experience many job changes, unemployment, and have continued difficulties with relationships. This is a book about how to understand and manage ADHD to maximize your own life success or that of someone you know who has ADHD.

This book is about the truth about energetic brains! It has been said that having ADHD is like having a Ferrari engine equipped with bicycle brakes. All brains are energetic but most have high-quality, heavy-duty brakes; in the case of the ADHD brain, the brakes are malfunctioning. Although we like this analogy, we find it incomplete. Most brains also have high-energy, power-assisted steering that directs attention and keeps us on the right track. In the ADHD brain, not only are the brakes inconsistent, but the steering is also sometimes awry. In The Energetic Brain we discuss how to understand and develop the proper “braking system” for the ADHD brain, knowing when to apply brakes and when to let the brain run, and, how to steer the energetic brain more effectively to maximize successful life experiences.

Controversy about ADHD is everywhere. In the popular media, throughout the Internet, and even on professional and medical listservs there are often questions as well as accusations about the existence of ADHD. Some go so far as to argue it is a made-up disorder, born of conspiracy among “big pharma,” psychiatry, and other mental health professions in order to pad their executives’ pockets. Some argue that we are placing our children in chemical restraints through medicinal treatment of ADHD. Some offer simple cures: if you will only buy their vitamin and supplement plan, subscribe to their diet, or simply reduce sugar intake, all will be well. In The Energetic Brain we address these controversies head on.

The truth is that ADHD is real. It was known and recognized long before drug companies existed, before psychiatry was a profession, albeit under different names and descriptions. ADHD exists, and it is a brain disorder. ADHD exists in varying degrees of severity as do most disorders or illnesses. However, it need not impose any permanent limitations on those who have it. It can be managed, treated, and although not “cured” in the classic sense of the term, individuals with ADHD who are correctly diagnosed and treated can be just as successful in school, work, and in social and recreational settings as they would have been without ADHD—and some even more so. They can have successful adult relationships and be good, loving, competent partners and parents.

ADHD is also overdiagnosed. We think much of the public controversy over this disorder stems largely from inadequate, briefly determined diagnoses and misdiagnoses of ADHD in people, especially children, who actually have other disorders that should be treated differently, but which on the surface look a lot like ADHD.

Among the many topics we cover in this book are: what ADHD is; what it isn’t; how ADHD is best treated and managed; why it is so often incorrectly diagnosed; how diagnosis should be done; the controversies surrounding ADHD diagnosis and treatment; solving the learning and social problems of individuals with ADHD; and how ADHD is seen under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and “Section 504” of the Vocational Rehabilitation Amendments of 1973, which grant individuals with ADHD certain additional rights in educational and vocational settings.

Our aim in writing The Energetic Brain is to arm you with real information—not faddish approaches to ADHD, but information steeped in real science, primarily the neurosciences, the psychological and cognitive sciences, and the education sciences—all tempered and interpreted in the context of our own decades of experience as clinical practitioners, teachers, and counselors. We do not offer a cure where there is none, and we also do not pretend that any of this is easy or a “quick fix.” Instead, we provide information that will lead to better understanding and decision making, whether you are the parent of a child with ADHD, an educator, a clinician, or you have an ADHD diagnosis yourself. We offer you knowledge of the legal rights associated with ADHD. We also give you proven skills to manage the energetic brain proficiently and to use its positive attributes to promote success in all aspects of life.

In the pages to follow, we address these facts and issues surrounding the energetic brains of individuals with ADHD in understandable terms from the standpoint of the sciences, of classroom and related learning environments, and of behavioral research. We hope this information will improve the quality of the journey that is life for all who have ADHD, their families, and their loved ones.

Cecil R. Reynolds

Kimberly J. Vannest

Judith R. Harrison

May 2011

PART ONE: Getting to Know ADHD

1

What Is ADHD?

ADHD is real. It exists, and it is a brain disorder. ADHD appears in varying degrees of severity as do most disorders or illnesses. However, it need not impose any permanent limitations on anyone who has it. ADHD can be managed and treated, and although they cannot be “cured” in the classic sense of the term, individuals with ADHD who are correctly diagnosed and treated can be just as successful in school, work, and in social and recreational settings as they could be without ADHD. In fact, many people find that ADHD leads them to discover and apply personal strengths to make them even more successful in life! However, a great deal of misinformation and non-truths about the reality of ADHD as a disorder exist.

In preparing to write this work and out of curiosity about what information is available to the public, we Googled the simple term “ADHD” and received over 15,000,000 hits. (Googling just the one medicine name “Ritalin” produced another 500,000-plus hits.) That is a huge amount. We sampled several hundred of the sites located, and were not at all surprised to see extreme positions represented and great diversity in the quality and type of information available. Websites that discuss ADHD are no different from most other web-based information. The simultaneous blessing and curse of the Internet is that anyone can put up a website professing expertise and presenting opinion as knowledge. The many websites we visited ranged from those providing clear guidance and information to the public (such as medical schools, government agencies, the National Institutes of Health, and well-known scientific or professional societies such as the American Medical Association) to others providing clear and trustworthy information for mental health professionals (such as professional clinics, private and community health providers), to other sites sponsored by organizations that appear to believe ADHD is a fraud being imposed upon unsuspecting parents. We found sites developed by individuals with a self-proclaimed diagnosis of ADHD, including blogs about the impact of ADHD on their lives and a variety of treatment approaches, some rather miraculous in their claims. Other sites profess the ability to diagnose ADHD accurately in “two minutes or less.”